21 Storybooks suggested by successful people

In creating the "Storybook Project”, NPR hopes to raise awareness of the importance of reading at a young age. In setting a strong foundation for their projects, NPR asked a series of successful authors, actors, politicians, philanthropists, etc. what books they would recommend reading to youngsters.

Among the public figures interviewed were Ann Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of New America Foundation; Melinda Gates, philanthropist; Wendy Kopp, founder and chairwoman of Teach for America; Tony Robbins, author and motivational speaker; Amy Chua, Law professor at Yale and author; Miyam Bialik, "Big Bang Theory” star and neuroscientist; and Chirlane McCray, the first lady of New York city.

Here are their top picks:

The Odyssey by Homer

"One day when they must have been about 5 and 7 I brought home the actual Odyssey, in Fagles' wonderful translation, and just read them the first page or two so that they could hear what the real thing sounded like."

"They loved it; we read it slowly, but all the way through," Anne Marie Slaughter told NPR.

Edward Unready for School by Rosemary Wells

"Edward is a young bear who just isn't quite ready to join all the happy, busy kids at school. One look at his face on the cover says it all," Slaughter told NPR.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas (Toot and Puddle) by Holly Hobbie

"Something about the illustrations so completely capture the anticipation of Christmas — the one that gets us every time is a picture of the jet flying over the Atlantic, with only the lit porthole windows visible, but with 'Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells' sailing out into the night air presumably from Toot's seat," said Slaughter in an interview with NPR.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

"As we went on we'd embellish on what happens in the book and talk about the different ways we loved each other, which meant that reading the book was always a wonderful voyage of discovery for all of us," Melinda Gates said in an interview with NPR.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

"It's about life from birth to death, about the continuity of generations, and as we read we could see the road ahead for our family," says Gates.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

"The book gives you a different perspective on a kid with Asperger's," according to Melinda Gates.

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward

"This book is about a determined mother rabbit with 21 cottontail children who each do their part to create a happy family and home," Sarah Kopp told NPR.

The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman

"As the mother of four, I can relate to this story of a frazzled mom with her seven crazy kids who in the end came together to make her a beautiful birthday cake," says Kopp.

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

"My daughter and I talk about the invisible string all the time," says Kopp.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

"No one so purely evokes emotions of the heart and soul as giving, receiving, rejection, expectation, love, and sorrow like Shel Silverstein," said Tony Robbins in an interview with NPR.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

"Another similar tale about conscience, respect, and true beauty is 'The Rainbow Fish,' which is a little more like the kid's version of 'Shallow Hal,'" says Robbins.

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

"In this one, the clever French soldiers get creative and drive keenly toward the outcome. I've always told people that the key ingredient to success is hunger!" says Robbins.

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

"The peddler gets totally outwitted by the monkeys, but everything still comes out great in the end because of a funny fluke," said Amy Chua in an interview with NPR.

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

"Both my daughters loved the brave, big-hearted tomboy Caddie, who is always getting in trouble but ends up saving the day," says Chua of Brink's novel.

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

"With its made-up words and delusional, unreliable narrator, this book is like a big prank on the reader — and brilliantly weird," says Chua.

Why Am I Different? by Norma Simon

"It highlights the importance of seeing differences as normal, and makes any 'different' child feel not less different, but less of an outsider," says Miyam Bialik in an interview with NPR.

'Frog and Toad' series Arnold Lobel

"The morals are simple and elegant, and very gently introduced," Bialik told NPR.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

"Such a glorious tale of a child who gets lost, and the love of his parents brings him back," claims Bialik.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis

Chirlane McCray suggests this book for its strong content involving a black family during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

The Ear, The Eye and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

"[An] amazing, Zimbabwe-set sci-fi tale" McCray says.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr.

A personal favorite of McCray and one she highly suggests!

Images used courtesy of YouTube

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Written by

Santiago Santa Cruz

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